The Wedding
by Sapphire Jade Eyes
Summary: Sonya's wedding is here, and Sydney's dad and a few other Alchemists are there. Tensions run high when Adrian and Jared Sage have a conversation, and the threat of re-education is looming. Basically what I wish I could read in chapter 3 onwards of TIS. I suggest you read Chapters 1 and 2 of TIS first. Please R&R! Rated T because I'm paranoid. Really it could be K
1. Chapter 1

**The Wedding**

**Chapter 1**

"I am not wearing that," I said, surprised my brain could function after such an absurd suggestion.

"Yes, Sydney, you are," Repeated Rose firmly.

"No, I'm not!" I argued, refusing to back down in my adamant refusal of the dress. Admittedly, it was a gorgeous gown… For someone like Jill, or Queen Vasilisa. Not some slightly overweight, plain girl with absolutely no social skills. To my surprise, I wished that Adrian were here. He would back me up, probably insisting that the colour, whilst I may dislike it, was fine, but the gown was too far out of my comfort zone. He would encourage me to wear it, but when I refused he would sigh and hold up a more reserved dress in the same shade.

But Adrian hadn't spoken to me since the plane flight. And although he wasn't moping around anymore like he promised, he still avoided me wherever he could. Meanwhile, I was left worrying about him and hoping he wasn't drowning his sorrows in alcohol, women and cigarettes, and wishing that we could just slip back into our old routine of friendly banter.

Lost in thought as I was, I hadn't noticed as the girl's had begun to slip the dress over my head. I only noticed when Jill lifted my arms up to slide the dress on.

"No, I said I wasn't wearing it!" I moaned, put out that a vampire had distracted me so easily.

"But look how good it looks on you," Jill whined. I gave myself a once-over in the mirror. The gown was a pale blue, more of a colour than I usually wore but acceptable, nonetheless. It was sleeveless, with a fitted bodice and billowing skirts. Around the bodice were intricate silver lilies, woven together here and there, and a chain of lilies linking down the mesh overlay where it crossed the front of the skirt.

The girls, as I had been watching the dress, had neatly and professionally spun my hair into an artfully messy bun. My golden lily had been covered up before I got here, but now they had added blush to my cheeks and you would never guess there was ever anything on my cheek. The bun had a diamond lily clip holding it in place, and a silver cross had replaced my gold one. As a finishing touch Jill slipped three thin silver bangles onto my right wrist and both girls stepped back, admiring their handiwork.

I sighed, though, as I looked at the stilettos the girls had laid out for me. They wouldn't rest until I walked out of the room in them, but I would almost certainly return home with something broken.

I jumped at a knock on the door.

Jill smiled knowingly, crossing the room to open the door, and I turned to find myself staring into the impossibly green eyes of Adrian Ivashkov.

"Wow, Sage, God, you look… beautiful," He said, grasping the side of the mantle in order to remain upright. I was struck both by the effect I had had on him and by the compliment. Although it wasn't "Like light made into flesh," I found that I preferred the one simple word. It didn't mean I was sexy, it didn't mean I was flawless; it didn't hide any other intentions other than to admire.

Jill and Rose hurried out, giggling to themselves about something as they went to get themselves ready, leaving me with Adrian.

"Would you like to come in?" I offered, and he nodded, wandering in and falling onto my bed.

"You have a habit of making yourself at home, you know," I commented as I sat on the couch chair, facing the bed.

"That colour suits you," Adrian commented as he stared at me. Unnerved by his intensity, I tried to change the subject.

"Well, I'm glad, because I'm seriously worried I'm going to faint from lack oxygen,"

"I'd catch you, you know," Adrian replied instantly, and he sounded so sincere that I found myself believing him.

"I need to get going," I said eventually, "Actually, you do as well. Otherwise we'll be late for Sonya's wedding,"

Adrian nodded and stood, opening the door for me. I nodded my thanks and tried to ignore the butterflies in my stomach as we walked towards the garden.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Wedding**

**Chapter 2**

I sighed at the beauty of the garden. Sonya had chosen well. There was such a large array of flowers that the only ones I could hope to distinguish were the lilies.

"Wait till you see the reception," Adrian commented, as if reading my thoughts, "We should take our seats,"

I nodded and went to sit next to Rose in the third row, while Adrian joined Eddie toward the back, and I pushed away the pang of sadness I felt as I watched him walk away.

_'Don't be ridiculous,' _I told myself sternly, _'An Alchemists viewpoint on him would be that he was a royal moroi. Lord Ivashkov. Not Adrian,'_

And of course, just when I thought my day couldn't get any worse, my father walked in and sat next to, of all people, Adrian. And although I tried to focus on the pure joy on Sonya's face, or the admiration and love on Mikhail's, I found myself panicking the entire ceremony. At long last, we moved to the reception, and I immediately found my father and Adrian.

"Father," I said brightly, eyeing Adrian as I turned to greet him.

"Sydney," He replied, not looking like he could focus on anything except the fact that a vampire was standing this close to him. When I stood there for too long without speaking, he muttered under his breath, "Introduce me to the vampire, if he's important. If not, let's get out of here,"

I mentally sighed. I had no doubt Adrian had heard, and I struggled to keep my composure.

"Of course. Father, this is Lord Ivashkov. Lord Ivashkov, Jared Sage," I said, and I saw Adrian raise his eyebrow at me. However, he did not show his surprise at the title, instead reaching forward and extending his hand.

"Mr. Sage, a pleasure to meet you,"

My face burned when my father replied, "Likewise," but did not shake Adrian's hand, then turned to me and dismissed Adrian from the conversation, although to my surprise Adrian remained where he was.

"Sydney, have you been sticking to your diet? You look like you've put on weight," Commented my dad, frowning as he surveyed me. I saw Adrian step forward to say something, but I glared at him warningly. Compliments from a vampire would fall upon deaf ears.

"Regardless," My father continued, "That's not what I came to speak to you about. I am here to warn you, the Alchemists have not been impressed of late. In fact, we heard that you had a boyfriend for a few months. This is not acceptable. Already, people are suggesting re-education. You need to step it up, Sydney," My blood ran cold as I watched my father walk away without waiting for my response.

"Wow, Sage, you don't look too good," Adrian said anxiously, reaching forward to steady me as I swayed on my feet.

"Seriously, though, Lord Ivashkov?" He asked after a minute, grinning at me, his green eyes sparkling with amusement. I knew he was only trying to cheer me up, but at the same time his words sent bolts of fear running through me.

"I need to talk to you," I said, and he nodded, leading me out the back and around a corner to a stool amongst the flowers. He sat down, and patted the seat next to him. I sat as well and gathered my thoughts.

"I'm sorry about my father. That was rude, even by Alchemist standards," I began, but Adrian shook his head.

"No offense, but you're father's a dick, I won't deny it. But it's not your job to apologize for his behavior. Trust me, if people had to do that I'd never stop," He argued and I smiled gratefully before continuing.

"I'm also sorry about 'Lord Ivashkov'. We're not really supposed to know any of you guys that well, and since you're royal, I'm actually supposed to call you that all the time. I'm lucky that I'm allowed to call Jill by her name, rather than Princess Dragomir," I explained.

"Sage, stop apologizing. The only thing I got from that exchange was that you're father is a real idiot for thinking you're fat. I don't know what kind of diet he's got you on, but promise me you won't stick to it because there is now way in hell it's healthy for you. Now what was it that your dad said about re-education that made you freak out?" He asked, and although I would've told him anyway, I had kind of been hoping he wouldn't bring it up.

"Re-education is where they send people who get too close to you guys, or aren't performing their duties properly. No one really knows what they do to you, but when I went to the bunker, I saw Keith. He looked… empty. Like they'd sucked out his soul. One of the wider circulated rumors is shock therapy," I shuddered, rubbing my arms as a sudden chill swept through the garden.

Quickly Adrian removed his jacket and put it around my shoulders. I breathed in his scent. It was comforting, and I was terrified, and I found myself leaning against his strong chest.

Adrian's arm wrapped around me and pulled me to him tightly.

"Sage… Sydney," He said, and I looked up at his emerald eyes. They were burning with anger, "I will never let them take you. I don't care what it takes. They won't lay a finger on you,"

I closed my eyes as tears began to slide down my cheeks.

"I'm so scared that they'll take me away, Adrian," I whispered, and he pressed his lips to my forehead gently. I stayed there for who knows how long; wrapped in Adrian's arms, until eventually I realized that we had to get back to the party.

"Come on, Adrian, we have to go back," I muttered under my breath, and he nodded regretfully. We entered the reception and went about our business, him avoiding Rose and Dimitri, me avoiding my father and the Alchemists.

At the end of the night Adrian walked me back to my room. By now I had calmed down enough to be mortified by my behavior earlier, but Adrian didn't seem to mind.

I opened the door to my room then turned around.

"Listen, I'm really sorry about today. I shouldn't have done that. I'm normally pretty good at controlling my emotions, but tonight, I just… Well, I'm sorry for-" Suddenly Adrian's lips were on mine, just a fleeting touch before he pulled away.

"No more apologizing," Adrian ordered and before I could change my mind, I leaned up to kiss him. The kiss was soft and tender yet fierce and passionate. Adrian put his hand on the back of my neck, and volts of electricity shot through me from the simple touch. Pulling him closer to me, I deepened the kiss.

"Sage…" Adrian murmured when we parted for air.

"No more apologizing, remember," I whispered and kissed him again. This time he kissed me back furiously, as if he'd been yearning for this for a long time.

"S-Sydney? Adrian?" We broke apart and turned in horror to see Rose, staring at us with wide eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Wedding**

**Chapter 3**

"Rose," Adrian replied immediately, and his calm demeanor threw me. How was he not panicking?

"You two are a… couple?" She asked, her eyes still as wide as saucers.

"Sort of, yes," I said, surprising both Adrian and myself. He turned to me with an eyebrow raised, but I ignored him. Rose ignored me, turning on Adrian, who to my shock didn't even flinch at her glare.

"Adrian! What are you thinking? She's human! Heck, she's an Alchemist! If someone catches you, she'll get killed. Did you even consider that? Are you really that selfish?" I saw a flash of guilt cross Adrian's face, and that about did it.

"Hey, back off him, Rose. I kissed him, and I think I'm more qualified to assess how much danger I'm in than you. Adrian's in as much danger as I am, and we've decided it's worth the risk. It's not up to you to come in and scream at him! I started the relationship, so if you're going to scream at anyone, scream at me!" I looked at Adrian and saw him staring at me in shock, then turned to Rose and saw the expression mirrored in her eyes. Honestly, I was pretty stunned myself.

"I see," Rose said uncertainly, looking away from my gaze.

"Sydney, can I talk to you?" Rose asked finally, with a glance at Adrian.

"Shout if you need me, Sage," He said as he stood and headed inside, kissing my hand as he went.

"Sydney, I'm sorry for screaming, but… As much as I like Adrian, he's not… that is too say… Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't want you to risk your life for a relationship where he might change his mind," She said apologetically.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize he was the one who cheated in your relationship. I thought that was you," I snapped back, and although I felt kind of bad, she was wrong about Adrian.

"I know, that came out wrong. What I mean to say is, he's not always serious about the people he's dating. I don't want you to give up everything for him to back out at the first signs of trouble,"

"I don't know what kind of person Adrian was before I met him, but having Jill bonded to him, having to work with Dimitri, it's all changed him. I would trust Adrian with my life," I said, surprised by how sincere I was.

"What if they find out about you guys? I want Adrian to be happy, and now I think about it, he does act differently around you. Like he'd jump in front a speeding bullet for you. And you deserve someone who'll look after you after everything you've been through. But the risk. I mean, I'm the queen of illicit relationships, but at least student/teacher stuff happens enough to be scandalous. What you're doing could get you killed," Rose cautioned.

"I know, Rose, believe me, you don't know how long I was in denial, but Adrian… I couldn't bear it if I had to live my life without him," I murmured, and Rose put her arm around me.

"I won't tell anyone, although I have to ask. Ivashkov? Really, how did that happen?" I laughed, and we chatted as we headed back inside.

"Come on, I need to introduce you to Lissa," Rose demanded, tugging me towards the front of the room.

"Don't you mean Queen Vasilisa?" I asked, shocked by her lack of decorum. At the very least Rose should be calling her Vasilisa.

"Sydney, I've known Liss since we were three. I'm not going to start calling her Queen just because she won some stupid election," Rose snorted as we approached Lissa.

"Rose," Exclaimed the young Queen, turning to embrace her friend, "Sydney," Lissa smiled warmly at me, and I could tell that she was debating whether or not I would tolerate a hug.

"Your highness," I said, dropping into a curtsey in case one of the Alchemists was around.

"Oh, please, any friend of Rose's is a friend of mine," She said, gesturing for me to stand.

As Lissa began to speak, I saw a movement over her right shoulder, on the balcony. I peered closer, straining my eyes, and saw the red light of a sniper. Acting on instinct, I shoved Lissa behind me just as four loud cracks of a gun sounded.

"Aah!" I screamed as I collapsed, holding my side.

"Oh my god, Lissa!" Rose shouted and they both dropped to the floor beside me. I felt Lissa put her hands on the wounds and realized what she was doing.

"No! No magic!" I shouted, scrambling away from her as best I could with four bullet holes in my chest.

"Shit, I forgot. Sydney, if you don't let Liss heal you you're going to die. I know you have this aversion to magic, but she's my friend. You can trust her," Rose pleaded with me. I took a deep breath.

"Can you get Adrian?" I asked Rose, "No offense, but I know him, and it…" I trailed off as Rose nodded and Lissa took off running to find him.

"Don't worry, he'll be here soon," Rose said as she ripped her dress, using the fabric to slow the blood flow.

"Tell Lissa I'm sorry," I muttered through gritted teeth, and Rose smiled.

"She understands. I'm pretty sure she's just grateful you'll let anyone heal you," Rose assured me, and I sighed.

"Sage!" I heard Adrian shout, and then he was on the floor beside me, panic in his eyes.

"Adrian, you need to heal her, now, before she loses too much blood," Lissa ordered as I saw her face appear next to his.

"Sydney, you need to let Lissa heal you. She's the better healer, and if I can't do it-" Adrian broke off, and to my shock I saw tears in his eyes. Grunting at the effort, I reached my hand up and grasped his arm tightly.

"I trust you," I whispered as my vision began to blur. I blinked a few times as I felt Adrian's hands over the wounds. I felt panic rise, and I looked into his eyes. They were watching me intently. I swallowed my fear and nodded, and felt the tingling of magic as the wounds began to heal.

Then my vision began to blur again, and I felt myself slide into unconsciousness.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Indigo Spell**

**Chapter 4**

I moaned at the light that assaulted my eyes as I opened them groggily. After a minute I lifted my head, and was about to sit up when I saw Adrian asleep, sitting in a chair with his head resting on the bed. I smiled at the peaceful look on his face, and then looked up as the door opened and Rose walked in.

"He hasn't left your side once since you fell unconscious. It's been days. I'm glad he's finally gotten some sleep. Although he said to wake him up when you woke up," Rose sighed and walked toward Adrian.

"Don't. Let him sleep," I requested and she nodded, sitting in the seat on the other side of the bed.

"We lied to the Alchemists. Told them we fixed you up with surgery and stuff. Figured you wouldn't want them knowing you'd been healed by a vampire," Rose told me and I smiled gratefully.

"Jill, Eddie, Lissa and Angeline have been to see you. Sonya was distraught when she found out. Your Alchemist friends left right away to begin research on who tried to assassinate Liss. Guardians are swarming the place. I'm lucky I've been able to get away to see you," Rose grimaced, and I noticed the dark bags under her eyes.

"You look like you could use some sleep as well. Go, I'll be fine," I offered and she nodded appreciatively.

"I'll lock the door so you can get some rest as well, Sydney," She called over her shoulder as she walked out. I knew I wouldn't sleep, though. Instead, I sat for a while watching Adrian. When he was asleep, he looked so innocent and carefree, without the haunted look he sometimes had in his eyes. I smiled slightly at the look of content on his face.

After about half an hour, Adrian began to stir. When he saw me awake, he bolted upright.

"Sage, thank god you're awake. Are you alright?" He asked, worry evident in his eyes.

"I'm fine," I laughed, "Do you have any idea how adorable you look in your sleep?" Adrian smiled and laughed a little with me, relief evident on his face.

"Sage, promise me next time you'll leave the saving to the Guardians," Adrian pleaded, suddenly turning somber.

"Rose hadn't seen him. It was me or the Queen, Adrian, what was I supposed to do?" I reminded him gently.

"I don't know, but you sure as hell weren't supposed to jump in front of a bullet for her. That's Rose's job. I'm serious, Sydney, you scared the hell out of me. There was blood everywhere. I thought-" Adrian broke off and looked away, tears filling his eyes. He looked back at me and said, "I thought you were going to die, Sage. And if I hadn't been able to save you…" The tears were streaming freely down his cheeks now.

"Oh, Adrian," I sighed, my heart aching for him. I gestured for him to lie on the bed beside me, and I saw his surprise, although he didn't argue. He held me close like he had the night of the wedding, except this time it was I comforting him.

"Don't event think about leaving me here, Sage," He murmured, burying his face in my hair.

"Wouldn't dream of it," I replied, and we lay together, enjoying each other's warmth and comfort through the long night.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Wedding**

**Chapter 5**

_"She's with a vampire," "She must be re-educated!" "Do we upright shock treat her or mess with her mind?" "Let's do both," The voices called down from above, and I was running, running. I had to escape, get away._

_"Sydney!" I turn._

_"Adrian," I cry in relief, running to him, but I can't help noticing that his eyes aren't quite the right vivid shade of green._

_"Sydney, let's get out of here," he says, holding out his hand. I frown in confusion. This doesn't feel like it's Adrian._

_"Sydney, let's go!" He insists, gesturing for me to grab his hand._

_"You're not Adrian, I say, backing away in horror as he morphs into a black liquid. The monster stretches it's arm out and wraps around me, dragging me towards him._

_"Sage? Sage! Sage, wake up!" Adrian's voice echoes through the darkness just as the liquid consumes me…_

I sat bolt upright, screaming and gripping the covers.

"Sage, thank god," Adrian mutters, pulling me to him. I looked up at his eyes. They were perfect, the exact shade of jade green that was so vibrant, "I thought you were never going to wake up. You had a nightmare, but you were screaming, over and over… Gave me a terrible fright before I realized what was going on," Adrian grinned ruefully, and noticed bruises beginning to form on his arms. I touched them lightly in horror.

"Did I do that?" I asked, repulsed by myself.

"Sage," Adrian begins, but I ignore him, continuing to stare at the marks up and down his arms.

"I'm so sorry, Adrian. You need to tell the doctors to strap me down when I sleep. If it had been any worse…" I ordered, terrified. How could I have hurt Adrian?

"Sydney," Adrian says firmly, "You were having a nightmare. You were terrified, clearly, and I could have easily pulled my arms away, but I didn't. You didn't hurt me. I'm fine, it's doesn't even hurt," I sighed, knowing he wouldn't accept an apology but giving one anyway.

"I am so sorry-" I began, but he silenced me with a kiss. I pulled Adrian closer and tangled my fingers in his hair, deepening the kiss, but Adrian pulled away, smirking at me.

"You're still injured," He reminded me and I glared at him.

"No I'm not," I said stubbornly.

"Yes, Sage, you are, which means you need to rest, not make out with your incredibly sexy boyfriend," He replied, jumping out of the way when I threw a pillow at him.

"Adrian, I can't handle the inactivity. I need to get out of this hospital bed right now. I've been resting for weeks," I begged, and he sighed before lifting me gently, bridal style.

"Not in that way," I moaned and he laughed, setting me down carefully on the bed and putting my arm over his shoulders. Helping me to stand, Adrian led me across the room, watching me carefully for any signs of discomfort. It felt a little strange to be walking again after weeks of lying in bed, but the only pain I felt was a slight stinging when I twisted my torso.

"When's the doctor letting me out?" I asked as Adrian helped me to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Surprisingly enough, once you could walk you were free to go, although he would prefer you to stay a bit longer," Adrian told me and I sighed gratefully.

"Can you go and tell the nurses I'm ready to leave while I change?" I ask and Adrian nods and walks out the door, although not before asking slyly,

"Need any help with that?"

Once he was gone I stepped out of the hospital gown and looked gratefully at the clothes folded on a table for me to wear when I got out of bed. Pulling on the black trousers and white collared shirt, I sighed at the softness of them. I was just slipping my feet into black velvet ballet flats with silver buckles above the toes when Adrian walked in, followed by someone who's nametag identified him as Doctor Andrews.

"Hello, Ms. Sage, my name is Doctor Andrews. How are you feeling?" He asked politely.

"I feel fine, just stir crazy from the inactivity," I answered truthfully.

"Remarkable. Young Adrian did an outstanding job healing you, in fact the only thing I had to do was dig the bullets out," I saw Adrian wince, and I looked at him questioningly.

'Later' He mouthed, and I nodded.

"… So overall you should be fine to head home, just make sure you don't overexert yourself and try not to tear the stitches," I promised Doctor Andrews I would and he told me not to drive for another week or so, at which point I groaned and Adrian smirked at my reaction, before I was officially released from the hospital.

"What was wrong with you back there? You looked upset about something," I asked as we headed across the parking lot to Adrian's Mustang.

"I just didn't like the reminder of when he cut the bullets out, that's all," Adrian replied smoothly as he opened the passenger door for me, clearly trying to deflect the question, but I was having none of it.

"Because you came too just before they started. They kept hoping you'd pass out but like the little fighter you are, you stayed awake the entire time. I had to hold you arms down while Dimitri held your legs, and you were kicking and screaming. God, Sydney, you were in so much pain. Every time you screamed I nearly ran out of that room. It was agonizing to know that I couldn't do anything to help you. Not the sort of memory you want to be reminded of," Shocked, I reached out my hand and gripped his tightly.

"I don't remember any of it," I remarked, surprised by the fact.

"The doctors didn't think you would. They said your mind would probably block the memory out as some sort of defense mechanism or something. I didn't really understand it," Adrian told me, and I nodded. The doctor's theory made sense.

"Now enough of these dreary subjects. Everyone's dying to see you," Adrian smiled at me as he reversed like a pro, and soon enough we were speeding back to Adrian's apartment in Court.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Wedding**

**Chapter 6**

I followed Adrian inside and found Dimitri, Rose, Eddie, Jill, Angeline, Sonya and Lissa. When I entered they looked up and smiled at me, and the different greetings melded together.

"Hey, everyone," I said lamely, waving awkwardly. I wasn't really used to people wanting to see me for no particular reason. Adrian, despite my protests, carried my bag into one of the many guest bedrooms. Apparently the Palm Springs crew were all staying in Adrian's apartment, and from the look Rose kept giving me, I suspected that it wasn't because of lack of space.

"Your Alchemist friends called. A man named Jared asked for you, but the minute he realized we were unholy creatures of the night he hung up," Eddie said and Rose sniggered. I sighed and began to apologize for my father's behavior, but Adrian, Rose and Sonya stopped me, saying at once, "Don't apologize,"

"Eddie, Rose, Christian and Lissa are going out tonight, you know, to catch up, which means that Angeline and I have to go, and also means Dimitri has to go, so we were wondering if you would mind looking after Sydney tonight?" Jill asked Adrian, winking at me subtly.

"Normally I would never pass up an opportunity to party, but I guess you guys don't have a choice, so I will gallantly allow you to enjoy yourselves," I knew Adrian was acting so he wouldn't appear _too_ out of character, so I played along as well.

"I don't need anyone to look after me," I protested, and to my relief Rose argued against me on my behalf, although the others didn't know it.

"Yes, you do. Doctor's orders," She smirked at me, and I saw Dimitri frown at her questioningly. Instead of answering his unspoken question, she kissed him, and I turned to Adrian, expecting to find some sign of sadness, or anger, but Adrian was staring at me. I blushed under the intensity of his gaze, and he chuckled to himself. I glared at him, which only made him laugh harder.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dimitri watch our silent exchange, and frown, like we were a puzzle he couldn't solve. I ordered myself to stop acting like a lovesick schoolgirl and focus on my job.

"Any news on the attackers?" I asked Dimitri, and he shook himself, almost as if he had been lost in thought.

"Nothing new. We have DNA evidence, though. Whoever they were, they were sloppy. Now we just have to wait for the results," He replied.

"Good. Please notify me when the results are in," I asked, and Dimitri agreed.

"Come on, guys, can we head out? I'm starved," Rose moaned, putting a hand on her stomach. Dimitri laughed, and then turned to me.

"You guys, go on ahead. I need to speak to Sydney about an urgent matter," He said, and I wondered what this could be about. Adrian caught on, and said he was going to walk Jill out, whispering to me as I walked past, "I better not come back to find you making out with a Russian,"

I rolled my eyes and whispered back, "I much prefer the tall, dark and handsome type," and Adrian smirked as he closed the door behind him, leaving Dimitri and I alone.

"Sydney, I want you to answer my question honestly. I won't say anything to anyone, don't worry, but I have to know. Are you and Adrian…?" Dimitri trailed off, and I sighed ruefully.

"Is it really _that_ obvious?" I asked, disappointed, and Dimitri laughed.

"Only to me. Usually you would get away with an exchange like the one you had before, but my job is to notice things," A thought occurred to me, and I looked up at Dimitri nervously.

"You're not going to turn us in, are you?" I asked anxiously, and Dimitri shook his head.

"Adrian is a man I like and respect, and I wish him an eternity of happiness. He deserves someone like you. Plus, I understand what it's like to try to deny your feelings. You shouldn't even try. They'll just surface at an inopportune moment and complicate things further," Dimitri's face grew troubled at the memory.

"I just wanted to be sure. Rose knows, doesn't she?" He asked finally, and when I nodded he bid goodbye and left. I decided that Adrian and I would have to be less obvious about our relationship. Dimitri was right. Anyone that knew the two of us would pick up on it if we didn't get our act together.

I looked up as Adrian walked in, and he crossed the room quickly to sit beside me.

"So, what do you want to do tonight?" He asked, and I considered the question for a moment.

"I don't know. What do people normally do on house arrest dates?" I asked and he laughed at me.

"We could… watch a movie," Adrian suggested, but I shook my head.

"Can we do something else?" I asked, and he looked at me.

"What, do not like movies or something?" Adrian asked incredulously.

"I don't mind them, they're just predictable. You know, the guy gets the girl, the boy sees dead people, Darth Vader is Luke's father," I sighed.

"Oh, so you just happened to guess the biggest cinematic reveal in history?" He asked sarcastically, and I laughed at him.

"Vader in German means father. His name is literally Darth Father," I told Adrian, and he shook his head in amazement.

"So you know German. Well, now I know why you don't like fun things," Adrian teased, and I rolled my eyes.

"Alright, what else do you want to do?" He asked, finally giving up on selling the movie world to me.

"I don't know, I had a few things in mind…" I said slyly, climbing on top of him and kissing him hard.

"Woah, when did you become a tiger?" Adrian asked sarcastically.

"Well, if you want I could go back to a kitten," I offered.

"No, I think I like this side of you a lot better," Adrian said, kissing me passionately. Still absorbed in our kiss, we stood and I wrapped my legs around his waist, letting him carry me to his bedroom.

**A/N For fans of Pitch Perfect, there is a scene that I put in from the movie. Also, Sydney isn't being totally OC, and it's not going that far. Sydney's too responsible for that, and Adrian cares about her too much to push her.**


	7. Chapter 7

**The Wedding**

**Chapter 7**

I wasn't sure which point the movie was put in, but it started, nonetheless. I wasn't paying much attention to the plot, but from what I could tell, it was about some vampire named Edward who fell in love with a human named Bella. The movie must've been extra terrible because even Adrian wasn't really watching it, and every time he listened to the dialogue he would scoff and criticize it.

At one point in the movie Edward was standing in the sunlight, his skin sparkling.

"What kind of loser is so embarrassed to take his shirt off that he needs to cover his skin with sparkles so that he's still covered up?" Adrian had asked me disdainfully.

"Be open to artistic interpretation, Adrian. The glittering skin could represent anything," I reprimand him, although I actually agree with what he's saying.

"No, you know what, you're right, Sage. I'm sure the director really thought about how to easily get across the message that that scene was the best special effects in the whole film," Adrian teased.

"Come on, they'll be home soon. We should go have coffee or something," I suggested, looking at my watch.

Adrian sighed but didn't argue, rolling out of bed and checking his hair in the mirror. I snickered at him and he rolled his eyes.

"Let's go make that coffee of yours," Adrian muttered, heading out into the kitchen.

I followed Adrian out to the kitchen, where the jug was already boiling away. He immediately put an arm around me.

"God, Sage, I swear you will be the death of me," He groaned.

"Adrian, we have to be more subtle about… us when they come back. You know how Dimitri wanted to talk to me earlier?" Adrian nodded, and I continued, "Well, he wanted to know if he was right about you and I. We're being way too obvious, and if we're not careful the wrong person will find out and then I'll be sent to re-education," I shuddered, and Adrian hugged me tighter.

"You're right, as always, but I don't know if I can handle seeing you dressed up like that again and not say something," He sighed, and my heart swelled.

"I love you, Ivashkov," I murmured into his chest.

"I love you, Sage," He replied, and I almost forgot about our plan to make coffee until the jug whistled that it was finished.

As I poured the coffee, I gathered my courage before turning to Adrian.

"I want you to visit me in a spirit dream tonight," I saw Adrian's eyes widen in surprise, and then he pulled me to him and kissed me.

"Are you sure, Sage?" He asked, worried that I wasn't comfortable with what I'd asked him to do.

"You saved my life, Adrian. You're magic, it's a part of you. And I trust you. So therefore, it would be hypocritical of me to distrust your magic. So yes, I'm sure," I stated firmly, and I watched Adrian beam at me.

"Adrian! We're hooome!" Jill called in an overly drunk sounding singsong voice. Adrian quickly crossed to the other side of the counter, where he began to sip his cup of coffee, and I followed suite as Jill stumbled in, supported by Eddie. At first I thought she was really that wasted, but then she winked at me and asked Eddie to take her to bed. I knew Eddie well enough to know that he wouldn't take advantage of her, so when he led Jill down to her bedroom I didn't worry.

Lissa was still downstairs saying goodbye to Christian, and Angeline had gone straight to bed, exhausted and beginning to feel the effects of being totally wasted, leaving Rose, Dimitri, Adrian and I.

Once we heard Eddie's door close, Adrian crossed to me and slid an arm around my waist. I beamed; glad we could relax around at least a few of our friends.

"You're welcome, Adrian," Rose winked, and Adrian nodded gratefully. I yawned, and although I did want to go to bed so I could see Adrian, I wasn't faking it. I was exhausted.

"I'm going to bed. See you in the morning," I said to Rose and Dimitri.

"Sweet dreams," Adrian called after me, and I smiled. Tonight was going to be the best night ever.


	8. Chapter 8

**The Wedding**

**Chapter 8**

_I opened my eyes to find myself staring into the unimaginably green ones of Adrian Ivashkov._

_"This is real?" I asked, although I already knew that it was. I could feel the magic swirling around me. I felt panic begin to rise up, but I took hold of Adrian's hand and squashed the fear down._

_"Where are we?" I asked, looking around. Wherever in the world this place was, it was by a gorgeous lake with snow-capped mountains in the distance. Behind us was a forest that appeared to go on forever, and high in the sky the sun beamed down at us, making the lake sparkle._

_"You tell me. I let you choose the location for this dream. Tomorrow night I'll take us somewhere, like maybe Greece or Rome?" Adrian suggested, and I frowned, thinking about where this could be._

_"Oh!" I exclaimed, "I know where we are. This is where my grandmother's funeral was held," I sighed, "I'd always hated that we spoiled such a beautiful place with a morbid occasion,"_

_Adrian pulled me to him and tipped my head up gently, kissing me slowly and reverently, as if he were savoring every moment._

_"Shall we?" Adrian asked, gesturing to a gondola that had just appeared at the edge of the lake. Helping me in, he followed suit, and with a slight lurch, the boat was smoothly rowing out onto the lake._

_"Adrian, are you sure you want… me? I mean, I love you, but what can I offer you? Spirit dreams and stolen kisses when we get the chance? You deserve better, Adrian," I murmured to him sadly. It was true. Until I could find a way out of the Alchemists, I could never give Adrian the kind of support and love he deserved._

_"Sage, one kiss a year with you is better than a thousand kisses a day with someone else. You don't have to offer me anything. As long as I'm with you, I don't care about anything else," He replied without missing a beat._

_I smiled, leaning into his shoulder, when he began to fade away into darkness._

_"Adrian, what's going on?" I shouted as he disappeared from view, slowly followed by our surroundings._

_"Sage, don't worry. Someone's waking you up. Just relax and-"_

"Sydney?"

I opened my eyes slowly to find myself staring into a pair of chocolate brown ones.

"What time is it?" I asked, not because I was tired but because it felt like it had only been an hour since I had fallen asleep.

"Six in the morning. I'm sorry to wake you, but your Alchemist friends rang to say they were going to be here at eight o' clock sharp," Stated Rose apologetically.

"No, it's fine. Thank you," I replied, still half asleep.

"First spirit dream?" Rose guessed, and I grinned at her.

"How did you know?" I asked curiously. Rose shrugged.

"You looked a little too content and peaceful for a normal dream. I've been in plenty of spirit dreams and since you're emotions are always amplified during them compared to a normal dream it often shows on your face," She replied simply.

"Good to know," I said, filing the information away for future reference.

"I'll leave you to get ready," Rose stood and left the room, closing the door softly behind her.

Standing, I headed over to my suitcase, and tried to decide what to wear. Pencil skirt or pants? I sighed. If it were up to me I would never wear a skirt in my life, but the pants made my thighs look big, and to the Alchemist the pants would make my thighs look huge.

So I pulled one of my many white-collar button up short sleeved shirts on, then slid on the black pencil skirt. Stepping into my black three-inch stilettos, I reached down and pulled on my short-sleeved black suit jacket. I decided on a professional looking, tight bun, and once I was ready I headed out into the living room.

"You're up early," I commented when I saw Adrian lounging on the couch.

"I had to wish you good luck before you're Alchemist friends get here," He replied, standing and kissing me on the cheek.

"Why does everybody call them that? I don't even like most of them," I asked, and Adrian shrugged.

"Well, good luck, anyway. I'm going to head out now. Let you get your head into the zone and all," He smirked, and I punched him lightly on the arm. Feigning hurt, he headed outside, leaving me to calm my breathing and try to relax. All there was left to do was wait.


	9. Chapter 9

**The Wedding**

**Chapter 9**

I jumped at the knock on the door. _'Come on, Sydney, get yourself together,'_ I chastised myself, taking a steadying breath before opening the door.

"Hello, Miss Sage. I trust you are feeling better?" Asked Amanda Barnsley, a high-ranking Alchemist who I knew of but had never actually spoken to before now.

"Much better, thank you," I replied smoothly, taking a seat on the couch across from her.

"I am here on behalf of the Alchemists to congratulate you. You single handedly avoided civil war, and have proven yourself to be an exemplary Alchemist. Although your current position in Palm Springs is less than desirable, we would like you to remain there for the time being. You handle Princess Jillian well; yet still maintain your values as an Alchemist. Because of this, we have decided to post you as the Princess's head Alchemist. You'll look after all of her affairs and issues, and help keep her organized. Normally we would never trust an Alchemist with this responsibility, but you were dedicated enough to risk your life to keep vampire's a secret, and you are one of the most intelligent in our ranks," Said Amanda primly.

I sat there for a moment, trying to keep my cool. Inside, I was to jumping up and down and screaming for joy. This job meant I got to stay with Jill, Angeline, and Adrian, and stay near Eddie, Rose and Sonya. There would be next to no Alchemists around, because I would most likely be staying at Court. However, Amanda needed to think I was pleased about the promotion, not the freedom from the Alchemists.

"Thank you so much, Mz. Barnsley. The promotion means the world to me, and I'm honored that you would trust me enough to give me such an important position. I would be glad to take the job, because although it means spending more time with those creatures, it's worth it to protect other humans," I replied, proud of the way I had framed my words. It was a very Alchemist response, and I watched as Amanda nodded in approval.

"Very good, Miss Sage. I will be leaving within the hour, so if you need anything, don't hesitate to call," I thanked her again and waited till the door swung shut before pulling out my cell phone and calling Adrian. He answered on the second ring.

"Sage, how did it go?" He asked immediately.

"It was amazing! Adrian, they've basically told me to look after Jill! Once everything in Palm Springs has died down I'll be living at Court with her, looking after her, handling the business side of things, and spending time with you guys. And the best part us that the Alchemists rarely ever come to Court, so I won't be constantly looking over my shoulder!" I said in a rush, when there was a knock at the door.

"I've got to go, Adrian, but-" I broke off when I opened the door and found myself staring into the much too green eyes of Adrian Ivashkov.

I pulled him to me and kissed him passionately, dropping my phone on the table nearby.

"I'm so proud of you, Sage," He murmured between kisses.

"Sydney?" A voice asked from behind Adrian, and we turned in horror to see Eddie standing at the top of the stairs.

"Eddie, you don't understand-" I began, but he ignored me, turning to Adrian instead.

"Do you love her?" Eddie asked simply.

"More than life itself," Adrian replied without missing a beat. Eddie grinned and hugged me.

"I heard about your promotion. Congrats!" He said.

"Thanks - Wait, how did you hear about it?" I asked, confused.

"Jill told me," Eddie replied just as Jill hurried in.

"How on earth did Rose and Dimitri keep their relationship a secret for so long?" I wondered aloud.

"Lot's of pain and suffering, for one," Rose called as she and Dimitri walked in, arm in arm.

"Thanks, you guys. Not turning us in means a lot," I murmured, embarrassed by the tears beginning to form in my eyes.

"You deserve your happily ever after as well, Sydney," Replied Jill, and I hugged Adrian tighter. With him by my side, I knew I could face anything life threw at me.


End file.
